With all the articles and hypes around the new Cessna Denali with its GE catalyst turbo-prop engine, I am wondering has any prototype of this plane made it into the air yet?
I understand that the performance figures can be partly calculated but am wondering how they can be so specific about its speed, range, load, and fuel consumption? Thank you.
According to Flying Magazine's September 2018 profile of the Denali:
The Denali’s first flight is expected early next year, with an entry into service during the first half of 2020.
As for the performance figures you mentioned, the same article says:
The Denali will weigh less than 12,500 pounds to prevent the need for a type rating, but at the moment, Cessna hasn’t released a gross weight number, nor any performance figures. Those won’t be made public until after the Denali’s first flight next year.
It’s currently under development. Rollout hasn’t even happened yet, but is expected to occur late in 2018 or early 2019.
UPDATE: The Denali along with the SkyCourier have been delayed into 2020 due to delays in Citation Longitude certification. As that program wraps up, Textron can shift more manpower over to the these programs and finish up.
Latest news says first flight is planned in 2020, due to engine testing delays. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-10-21/cessna-denali-first-flight-delayed-2020
With five development engines assembled and more than 1,600 hours of combined operation between engine test hours, GE Aviation’s new Catalyst turboprop engine is progressing toward a flying testbed for the launch application, the Textron Aviation Denali. However, the engine maker won’t deliver the first Denali flight-test engine to Textron Aviation (Booth C9343, Static SD503 and SD503A) until sometime in 2020, GE officials confirmed on the eve of NBAA-BACE.
